


The sound of her laugh

by Opaldreams1458



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien can see colors based on sounds, Fluff fest, Gen, Pining, Really cute coffee shop AU, fascinating real genetic disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 07:12:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8240792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opaldreams1458/pseuds/Opaldreams1458
Summary: Adrien has always seen the world a bit differently than others. A genetic condition he was born with creates beautiful colors associated with every sound he hears. Her voice is so many colors that he's so baffled, that all he wants to do is know her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So this is a little oneshot I wrote when I first started writing and I wanted to publish it!  
> Please be kind :)

**Chromesthesia: Being able to hear a sound and associate a color.**

For as long as Adrien has been alive, certain sounds create fireworks in his eyes. Piano music the color turquoise, his friend Chloé was Canary yellow. His mother had been a bright beautiful maroon.

Adrien had been born with a neurological condition that made things just a bit different for him than anyone else. It wasn’t as if he were color blind -he still saw the world as others did- but he saw it just a bit differently. Every sound held a color, unique and beautiful to it only. He never spoke about it; people wouldn’t understand. He held it inside himself, amazed by each unique thing he seemed to see. It was like the world was his own amazing coloring book. As a child it had scared him, and his parents had been shocked to hear him associate certain noises with a color. Hearing Hungarian Number Seven being played by his mother’s own fingers had made him call out, “Blue moma..that sounds so blue.” 

His parents hadn’t known what to do, and even now as he was around age fifteen it was something he wasn’t allowed to talk about.

________

A beautiful August morning, the leaves were already tinged rust. Adrien had been allowed freedom today. A day without a strict schedule meant he could roam Paris as he wished. Shackles were gone, and he was almost a normal teenager for once. He’d chosen to go to a coffee shop on the edge of the Seine where he loved to people watch; there in this romantic spot where he saw the loveliest colors. Each person in love seemed to hold a different shade. Their laughter different, their voices higher. The beauty of the fireworks that pulsed his vision comforted him in a strange way.

Usually, he was kept in silence in his room. The only shred of this magical gift he’d been strangely blessed with came only from his stereo. It was different with people. It was more lovely when natural. Heading into the tiny café, he realized for a weekday it was so empty. A girl with midnight hair worked the counter, her hair pulled up into a messy bun and she had the most lovely set of blue eyes.

“Welcome, how can I help you today?” Her melody sprung out, catching him nearly off guard. Her color was mystifying to him, he couldn’t quite make it out. It appeared like slight speckles in front of him. Much lighter than rose, or puce.

Adrien felt his brows knit in exasperation, for once he couldn’t quite make it out. It was as if she were holding back something, what he didn’t know. A secret that her voice held back from his magical gift, something was intriguing about her.

His green eyes slid upwards, to look at her once more, curiously examining her features. Her color was so faint he almost couldn’t make it out. Strangely, while in his thoughts he had forgotten to order. A giggle from her lips escaped, and all at once his eyes were beaten back by the glorious different shades.

From maroon to aqua all at once hit him square in the nose. Never once had he seen such a strange array of color all at once. Every person had but one at a time, but this girl had nearly too many to count.

As her laughter subsided, he could hear her again, “I know you, you’re Mr. Agreste right?”

Of course she would recognize him from all the ads throughout the city. It wasn’t strange to hear it from someone at least once a day. 

Nodding his head and trying to find his own voice, he swallowed down the feeling of anxiety. Being home schooled meant he always had difficulty talking to strangers, “Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Could I have a latte please?”

He heard a hum between her lips, as she pressed buttons on the register. Her smile never left her lips. “A latte then. I’ll have it ready for you in just a bit, that will be 6 euro.”

Fumbling in his pocket he pulled out his bills for her, he would never be able to forget her. Not as long as he lived. The one person who had an a range of colors so strong by just one giggle, but so quickly they faded from sight. Her words once more that strange dim pink that he had no name for, and for once he was curious what other colors this strange girl could emit.

 

Being anxious around people didn’t really help Adrien, talk to the barista. For months he came in, too shy to say a word except to order. Eventually, as time progressed she knew his order front and back, and would try to strike up conversations with him. He did find out her name, and that she worked only three days a week. The rest of her time was spent at her family's patisserie. She currently worked two jobs, to pay her way through design school. She had huge dreams, and hearing her speak about them always made her beautiful rose hue shine a bit brighter. 

Now as he stared into his cup, the hot bitter liquid filling up the air, he felt content. Coming here became the highlight of his week. Right now the place was full, orders spilling out of people’s mouths left and right. The world around him a mass of strange colors, and shapes. Adrien had learned over time not to be caught off guard by it, and now enjoyed seeing the rainbows around him. 

Trying not to take up too much space, Adrien had allowed someone to sit at his table. It made him uncomfortable, because every now and again, she would try to talk to him. The girl had a thick mahogany hair, and an olive complexion. She was nice enough, and very chatty, but he never knew what to say.

Just when he was about to bring the cup back to his lips, she turned to look at him again.

“She’s pretty, huh?” 

If he hadn’t been raised to be proper, he may have spat his entire mouthful at her. His eyes had been staring-for awhile now actually- at the girl behind the counter. Marinette often caught his eye, the way many of her colors changed based on who she spoke to, and what she spoke about. There were so many people in there, it had been hard to tell but, maybe he had seemed a bit like a stalker.

“Wait, what?” Adrien, had finally swallowed, and now his face was flushed red, heart pounding. This girl who he had assumed, was just sharing his table, had been looking too closely. 

“Mari, she’s my old friend from school, she’s pretty right? I see you staring cutie, she also said Adrien Agreste came in a lot. The ball cap doesn’t hide your face so don’t seem too shocked, I knew who you were before I sat down.”

His flush grew brighter, he could feel his hands sweat against the cup. This girl had asked him the most embarrassing question of his life, and yet here she was with a smile. He had thought his disguise was good enough, but, apparently he had been mistaken. 

Trying to come up with words was hard, harder than he expected. His throat felt closed up and dry, with a cough he finally got the nerve, “She’s vibrant.” His words had come out unfortunately, a bit to strange, and then he felt himself suddenly increase his heart rate. “Wait-I mean-she’s nice, uh.”

A large inhale and he glanced back down at the cup, wishing he could disappear. The girl just gave a soft laugh, her hand slowly patting at the table, “Don’t worry, she gets lots of admirers. None have called her vibrant, but it's cute. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe.”

His secret hadn’t been safe at all. 

Adrien had returned the next week, and the girl behind the counter could barely look at him. Even when he would order his drink, she would stutter, fumble with her words. The strangest development in it all was now when she spoke to him, he could see a change. The light faint pink had progressed to a deep rich cherry. How hilarious it was that when she spoke to him, all full of apprehension, it was a darker more vibrant color. The awkward kid in him couldn’t make the connection at all that this was because she now was infatuated with him as well. Being home schooled must have made him dense.

“Uh-so do you want your usual?” The girl was chewing on her lip, but her eyes refused to stay on him. 

Adrien gave a slight nod at her, “Yes, please. Thank you Marinette.”

Neither person questioned the other, he allowed it to pass. As time went on he noticed, he was the only differing factor. The rest of the day, she was natural, normal, and light pink. No hesitation in her words, no stuttering. That girl had told his secret, and now, now she was different around him. 

Was it because of who he was, or what he had said in general? Somehow neither made him happy.

He had very little confidence when it came to speaking to people, mostly due to being home schooled his entire life. As a result, what little bit of confidence he did have was used up trying to be polite. The ball of anxiety in his stomach had grown to make him feel sick. Waiting on her to come his way, made him feel like he couldn’t breathe; the panic had set in firmly into his gut. 

Rhythmically she would move from table to table, wiping them down, clearing cups. The one beside him was empty, two cups planted at each setting. He could see her eye it, the hesitation on her face showing. When she finally reached him, he felt like he would explode, and the words that came out of him were less than subtle. 

“She told you huh?” His eyes were staring up at her, and she paused her work. The way she turned her head to look at him, the way she bit at her bottom lip, signaled to him she was embarrassed. 

“I mean-no, yes. She mentioned something, It’s okay, it's fine. I mean-” A deep inhale and the girl, sat the cup onto the table, and moved to sit across from him. Adrien could feel himself flush intensely, he hadn’t expected this to happen. How could he tell this girl the true reason for his words? That he saw everything a bit differently. As she finally sat, her bright flushed face was hidden by her hands, and she dragged them down to finally looked at him in nervousness. “I’m sorry she asked you something so crazy! I wanted to apologize.” 

Somewhere in her resolve, he had already lost his, what bit of confidence he had claimed had vanished when she sat down. Holding onto his cup was the only thing planting him in his spot, if not he felt like he may run. Here she was, sitting in front of him, with an apology. It wasn’t at all when he had intended, because what did she have to be sorry for? He should be the one saying it, not her, because he had said such a strange thing. Most boys would say, ‘She’s cute’, ‘pretty’- he had chosen the weirdest way to compliment her, and it had nothing to do wit her outer appearance. 

 

She was beautiful, the way her speckled nose colored her pale features. The quirk in her lips when she thought something was funny, or even the way her bright blue eyes would shimmer in the heavy track lights. All of that was inconsequential to him, what was more intriguing was inside of her.

As the ball of anxiety began to release its hold, Adrien finally decided to say something, “Don’t apologize, I – I was caught off guard by her. I-must have sounded insane.” His eyes trailed down to look at the table, afraid of meeting her blue gaze. If he did, he felt like she may make him say something else he shouldn’t.

“Well-uh-no, it wasn’t insane. It was cute, and flattering, and I – well-I don’t really know what to say.” Marinette wasn’t looking at him either, she was playing with the edge of a napkin, her eyes refused to meet him, not that he would notice, but when she said it was flattering his eyes zipped up, mouth agape. 

It hit him then- the color she had been showing him all day was one of infatuation. This girl, who sat right in front of him, was crushing on him. She hardly knew him, and he wondered then if it was because of his name or looks. He would probably feel disappointed if he could, but instead he was overcome with excitement.

“Say that you’d go with me to the movies then?”

A smile and all at once the colors burst forth from her lips again, “Of course I would!”


End file.
